The field of the invention is camera supports.
In motion picture, television or video filming or recording, the camera is often supported on a vehicle, to follow an action or moving sequence, or to achieve a desired camera angle or effect. Various specialized camera cars, camera trucks, cranes, and dollys have been used for this purpose. Generally, although the camera may be moving, it is important for the camera to be maintained in a steady or stable position. In the most basic form, camera stability has been achieved by mounting the camera on a tri-pod. However, when the camera itself is mounted on and moves with a vehicle, maintaining camera stability often becomes difficult.
For example, with a camera mounted on a camera crane moving along a roadway and filming or recording a fixed subject on the ground, e.g., a building, or a subject which is also moving e.g., another moving vehicle, the camera and the lens of the camera will necessarily move in unintended and undesirable ways, due to various factors. These factors may include changes in the roadway direction or inclination, changes in the vehicle orientation, due to shifting gravitational or inertial loads, wind forces, as well as for other reasons. Undesirable movement can be especially problematic when the camera is used with a magnifying lens. The undesirable camera lens movement resulting from these factors reduces the quality of the filmed or recorded images, by causing the images to be improperly framed, or to appear jumpy or erratic. To reduce or eliminate undesirable lens movement, various camera platform or camera head stabilization systems have been proposed. Generally, these systems sense undesired lens movement. A computer controller then operates electric motors linked to the camera platform. The electric motors move the platform to try to cancel out the undesired lens movement and keep the lens steady and aimed as desired.
A remote camera head is an apparatus that allows the camera to be moved, aimed, or controlled from a remote location (i.e., a location not immediately behind the camera). Typically, a remote camera head is mounted on a camera crane. The crane can move the camera head, and the camera on the head, into locations not accessible using conventional camera operations (i.e., with a camera operator behind the camera and controlling camera movement by hand). For example, a camera on a camera head may be suspended on a crane arm extending out over the side of a tall building, a cliff, a waterfall, etc., i.e., in a position where it would be unsafe, impractical, or impossible to perform conventional camera operations.
In general, remote camera head operations involve placing the camera on a remote camera head which can perform pivoting or rotational movement in three axes, known as pan, tilt, and roll. Electric motors on or in the remote camera head are remotely controlled (via cables or wireless links) by a camera head operator, typically on the ground, or on the vehicle supporting the crane arm. Operation of the camera itself is similarly remotely controlled. The electric motors may also be linked to a stabilization system, as described above, so that steady and accurate aiming of the camera is not disturbed by undesired movements.
Generally, a camera head is selected based on the size and weight of the payload, i.e., the camera, lenses, and accessories to be used with it. While a large camera head can of course hold a large payload, a large camera head also adds weight and bulk that the camera crane must carry. Consequently, a large camera head may limit the weight of the payload, reduce the speed of desired movements, and reduce the overall versatility of the equipment used. On the other hand, trying to match the size of the camera head to the payload may require having more than one camera head on hand, increasing the cost and complexity of the production.
While existing camera stabilization systems and camera heads have met with varying degrees of success, various engineering challenges remain in designing improved camera stabilization systems and camera heads.